June 2007

Yes, we have noticed the interesting activity in the comments, including the rather lame effort at hijacking the handles of regular and well-regarded participants. If you are a regular poster and see a comment attributed to you that you did not make, then drop an e-mail to Blackfive (or Grim, myself, or Jimbo) and we will take care of it.

If you are one of the trolls and you or a group invested in the IP hopping, you might want to consider getting your money back. Just a thought.

One final note: don't take some things at face value. If someone sounds like a caricature, such as what a moonbat thinks a wingnut sounds like, might want to consider that they might not be what they seem. Excessive hyperventilation might be a distraction...

Oh, and on a personal note, most of the troll droppings are pretty lame, IMO. Not even good entertainment value.

Pvt. Matt Oakley, a Canadian soldier from India Company, 2nd Batallion, Royal Canadian Regiment (2 RCR) takes a quick breather, June 18, on a pre-dawn patrol near the Forward Operating Base (OB) at Ma'sum Ghar, Afghanistan. About 2,500 members of the Canadian Forces (CF) are currently serving as part of Joint Task Force Afghanistan. Most of the soldiers are stationed at Kandahar Airfield and at Camp Nathan Smith, Canada's Provincial reconstruction Team (PRT) in Kandahar City. Other personnel are assigned to various military headquarters, a support base, and civilian organizations. They play a key role in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force mission whose goal is to improve the security situation in Afghanistan and assist in rebuilding the country. (Photo by Master Cpl. Kevin Paul, Canadian Forces Combat Camera)

Yesterday was interesting, today just upped the ante. Be careful out there.

I made this back in 05 based on an older roundel that you still see in some areas and older stations. I have used and liked the tube since I was 12, and thought it appropriate to express my opinion. The Gaelic is from my Clan, and means Fierce When Roused. May those who seek to oppress, or engage in terror, learn that it applies to far more than just Clan Donnachaidh (Robertson and Duncan, along with a host of sept names; the Clan being one of the few that kept the Gaelic name).

LW

UPDATE: Sky News is reporting Blackpool airport being closed by armed police; other reports are indicating other activity as well. To our readers over there: Be careful. To the rest, keep them in your thoughts, and think a bit about how British troops fighting are now having to worry about their families.

On the list of simple, profound and sad observations, Strategy Page notes just how closely the efforts of our loyal opposition and their media organs mimic the Japanese during WWII. h/t as always

But recently, the troops
have been passing around an interesting discovery. Namely, that the Japanese
psychological warfare effort during World War II included radio broadcasts that
could be picked up by American troops. Popular music was played, but the
commentary (by one of several English speaking Japanese women) always hammered
away on the same points;

1 Your President (Franklin D Roosevelt) is lying to
you.

2 This war is illegal.

3 You cannot win the war.

Both the media and the Democratic leadership have been relentlessly hammering this message for years and their efforts have borne the current 67% disapproval of the war. The sad thing is they have done better than the Japanese by leveraging their undeserved credibility as message bearers.

After the shameful and weak showing by the Democrats I hope all Americans will see that they have put politics above our security. A withdrawal from Iraq prior to finalizing security measures would be tragic for them, us and the entire region. The Dems care more about ensuring W is charged with a loss, than assuring our ability to maintain peace around the world. If they get their way, bin Laden gets a W against not just W but against the Great Satan against America, do you think that will be enough? HA! We know better, that bastard and Islamists worldwide are watching and if we cut and run we will prove (again) that we are incapable of a sustained effort anywhere.

Oh, and Dick Lugar ought to find himself a big glass of STFU! I have written off the left, but for someone nominally on the President's team to stab our troops in the front by saying an effort barely underway is lost, is a disgrace. I am constantly amazed by politician's ability to constantly find ways to lower themselves.

And here's a video of the 2nd BCT of the 10th Mountain Division making it's 100th Air Assault yesterday (June 28th, 2007). Scenes include night vision footage of Soldiers waiting to load into helicopters before the mission, riding in helicopters and patrolling the Iraqi countryside. Video by Sgt. Scott Pittillo and Spc. Alexandria Corneiro.

Congrats to Michelle and the rest of the immigration crusaders, this was a win for the power of new media. I sat this out mostly because I am pro-amnesty and I didn't want my ass kicked.

Plus this helps our beleagured Social Security system, how you ask? Well every illegal alien using a fake SSN pays into the system by FICA taxes and they can't ever collect so....net gain for the system.

...Part two, of course, is the "80 percent of the
guerrilla leadership there had slipped away" meme. I pointed out
previously that his number would be the bone opponents to the war would
grab and run with. And Cole is no exception.

As expected, Cole
states the "offensive" is a failure and implies that's the primary
reason. But as pointed out previously, that has little if anything to
do with the primary mission. What it points out, however, is Cole's
complete misunderstanding of the purpose of the operation in Babuqua...

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The Authors

Former Paratrooper and Army Officer, "Blackfive" started this blog upon learning of the valorous sacrifice of a friend that was not reported by the journalist whose life he saved. Email: blackfive AT gmail DOT com

Instapinch
Bill Paisley, otherwise known as Pinch, is a 22 year (ongoing) active and
reserve naval aviator. He blogs over at www.instapinch.com on a veritable
cornucopia of various and sundry items and will bring a tactical naval
aviator's perspective to Blackfive. Readers be warned: any comments of or
about the F-14 Tomcat will be reverential and spoken in low, hushed tones.
Email: wpaisley AT comcast DOT net

Mr. Wolf has over 26 years in the Army, Army NG, and USAR. He’s Airborne with 5 years as an NCO, before becoming an officer. Mr. Wolf has had 4 company commands. Signal Corp is his basic branch, and Public Affairs is his functional area. He recently served 22 straight months in Kuwait and Iraq, in Intel, PA, and senior staff of MNF-I. Mr. Wolf is now an IT executive. He is currently working on a book on media and the Iraq war. Functional gearhead.

In Iraq, he received the moniker of Mr. Wolf after the Harvey Kietel character in Pulp Fiction, when "challenges" arose, they called on Mr. Wolf...
Email: TheDOTMrDOTWolfAT gmail DOT com

Deebow is a Staff Sergeant and a Military Police Squad Leader in the Army National Guard. In a previous life, he served in the US Navy. He has over 19 years of experience in both the Maritime and Land Warfare; including deployments to Southwest Asia, Thailand, the South Pacific, South America and Egypt. He has served as a Military Police Team Leader and Protective Services Team Leader and he has served on assignments with the US State Department, US Air Force Security Police, US Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. He recently spent time in Afghanistan working with, training and fighting alongside Afghan Soldiers and is now focused on putting his 4 year Political Science degree to work by writing about foreign policy, military security policy and politics.

McQ has 28 years active and reserve service. Retired. Infantry officer. Airborne and Ranger. Consider my 3 years with the 82nd as the most fun I ever had with my clothes on. Interests include military issues and policy and veteran's affairs.
Email: mcq51 -at - bellsouth -dot- net

Tantor is a former USAF navigator/weapon system officer (WSO) in F-4E Phantoms who served in the US, Asia, and Europe. He is now a curmudgeonly computer geek in Washington, DC, picking the taxpayers pocket. His avocations are current events, aviation, history, and conservative politics.

Twenty-three years of Active and Reserve service in the US Army in SF (18B), Infantry and SOF Signal jobs with operational deployments to Bosnia and Africa. Since retiring he's worked as Senior Defense Analyst on SOF and Irregular Warfare projects and currently ensconced in the emerging world of Cyberspace.

The Authors Emeritus

Major Pain --
A Marine who began his blog in Iraq and reflects back on what he learned there and in Afghanistan. To the point opinions, ideas and thoughts on military, political and the media from One Marine’s View.Email: onemarinesview AT yahoo DOT com

Uber Pig was an Infantryman from late 1991 until early 1996, serving with Second Ranger Battalion, I Corps, and then 25th Infantry Division. At the time, the Army discriminated against enlisted soldiers who wanted use the "Green to Gold" program to become officers, so he left to attend Stanford University. There, he became expert in detecting, avoiding, and surviving L-shaped ambushes, before dropping out to be as entrepreneurial as he could be. He is now the founder of a software startup serving the insurance and construction industries, and splits time between Lake Tahoe, Boonville, and San Francisco, CA.

Uber Pig writes for Blackfive a) because he's the proud brother of an enlisted Civil Affairs Reservist who currently serves in Iraq, b) because he looks unkindly on people who make it harder for the military in general, and for his brother in particular, to succeed at their missions and come home in victory, and c) because the Blackfive readers and commenters help keep him sane.

COB6 spent 24 years in the active duty Army that included 5 combat tours with service in the 1st Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Group . COB6 was enlisted (E-7) and took the OCS route to a commission. COB6 retired a few years back as a field grade Infantry officer.
Currently COB6 has a son in the 82nd Airborne that just returned from his third tour and has a newly commissioned daughter in the 4th Infantry Division.